The present invention relates to a bayonet coupling nut and, more specifically, to a bayonet coupling nut suitable for electrical connectors.
The use of bayonet coupling arrangements in the electrical connector art is well known. Typically, a bayonet coupling nut is rotatably mounted on the shell of the plug connector member. The nut has bayonet grooves formed in its interior surface opening to the front of the nut. When the plug connector member is mated with the receptacle connector member of the assembly, bayonet pins on the receptacle shell enter the bayonet slots on the nut. Rotation of the nut draws the plug and connector members together into mating relationship.
The bayonet slots in the coupling nut may be formed by die casting the nut using a suitable material such as aluminum, or by machining the slots in the interior of the nut. Both techniques are relatively expensive. Also, the standard bayonet coupling nut requires a wave spring and friction ring for exerting a rearwardly directed biasing force on the nut which maintains the nut firmly coupled with the bayonet pins on the receptacle shell.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved bayonet coupling nut which is less expensive to manufacture and eliminates the need of a wave spring and friction ring as utilized in the prior art bayonet coupling arrangements.
Heretofore, bayonet coupling arrangements have been considered impractical for use on connectors having plastic shells because a plastic coupling nut and bayonet pin would not be sufficiently hard to withstand a large number of matings and unmatings of the connector parts. It is, therefore, another object of the present invention to provide a bayonet coupling device which is practical for use on plastic connectors.